Potato-harvester.



T. S, MOSHE.

POTATU HARVESTER.

APPLICATION nun) JAN 25,1913,

Patented Aug. 11 1914.

T. S. MOORE.

POTATO HARVESTER.

APPLIGATWN TILED JAN, 101a.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AYPLIGATIGN FILL?) IAN. 2L, 1013 K M c 1 M m a 5i :4 ue-wtoz .5". WangPatented Aug. 11, 1914.

4 SHEETSHSH'EET 4.

xii .1?

OFFICE.

THOMAS s. mom, on snoasrom, WYOMING.

POTAIQ-HABYBSTEBI Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application filed January 25, 1913. Serial No. 744,195.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS S. Moons, acitizen of the United States, residing at Shoshoni, in the county ofFremont and State of \Vyoining, have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in Potato- Harvesters, of which the following is aspecification.

This inventibn relates to vmachines for gathering potatoes, and has forits object the provision of an apparatus which may be drawn over a fieldand during its travel uproot thepotatoes, separate the same from thevines and trash, and deliver them to convenient receptacles after beingassorted according to their sizes.

The invention also has for its object the provision of novel means forconveying the potatoes from the scoop to the separator or screen.

The invention also seeks to improve, generally, the construction andarrangement of,

the parts of. a potato harvester to the end that the durability andefiiciency of the same maybe increased.

All these stated objects and such other incidental objects which willappear as the description of the invention proceeds, are attalned inmechanism of the character illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

the invention resides 1n certain novel features which will beparticularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatusembodying my present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig.3 is a central longitudinal section; Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveviewof a portion of the driving gearing Fig. 5 is a detail perspective viewof the hounds or draft applying device; .Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthe shovel or scoop.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a frame consisting f side bars 1and cross bars or beams 52 onnecting the same, an

axle 3 being journaled in the side bars and traction wheels 4. beingloosely mounted upon the ends of the axle. The traction wheels areconnected with the axle through the usual escapement devices, so that,as the apparatus is drawn forward, motion will be imparted to the axleby the traction wheels, but backward movement of the traction wheelswill permit the axle to remain stationary. This arrangement.furthermore,

sidebars l in rear of the axle.

tween the two traction wheels when the apparatus is being carried arounda corner orturn, as will be readily understood. The axle is equippedwith a pinion 5 near one end which meshes with a similar pinion 6'-on atransverse shaft 7 which is journaled in the The rotation of the axle isimparted directly to this shaft 4 and through suitable mechanism to behcrei.

counccting bars are pivoted to the sides of a frame 9 which houses theelevator and the screens The scoop or shovel 10 is constructed with sideplates 11 having rearwardly extending wings 12, and the said side platesare secured. at their rear corners to the lower front corners of theframe 9, the wings 12 being extended. rearwardly between the lower endsof the said frame 9 and being secured thereto so as to aid in supportingthe said frame, as will be readily understood. These wings, furthermore,act as runners and take into the soil. in rear of the shovel so a's-tohold the shovel or scoop to its workv and prevent the same movinglaterally with respectto the row of potatoes being takenup.

The shovel or scoop com rises a base plate or share 13 having,asiarp'ened forwardly projecting edge adapted to'take into the groundbelow the potatoes and extending between the side plates 11, as clearly"shown in Fig. 6. From the rear-edge of the base plate 13, a back 14consisting of parallel longitudinal rods, projects upwardly at a slightinclination, so that, as the apparatus-is drawn along the row of plants,the potatoes will be directed upwardly and rearwardly and pass from theupper edgeof the back plate, falling therefrom onto the elei vator andconveyor to be presently more aarticularly referred to while the looseirt, roots and vines may fall between the bars to .the ground.

The hounds 15 are provided with down.

turned arms or brackets 16 at their rear ends which are rigidly securedto the forward edges of the frame 9 at the lower front corners thereofwhereby the draft-will be applied directly to the said frame. The houndsare also rigidly secured to the upper l portions of the side plates 11of the scoop,- compensates for the difference in speed be- I and thefront ends of the hounds converge and, ere united in front of the scoop,as show'n'in Figs. 2 and 5,- the front extremities of the hounds beingequip ed with e clevis or other device, indicate at l1. whereby draftanimals may he hitcher to the appsratus. Between their front and rearends, the hounds are connected by a cross her 18 to which is pivoted a.link 19', and to the upper end of this link is pivoted the lower end ofa lever 20 which is iulcrumed upon the intermediate cross bar 2 of themain frame and is equipped with 'a-latch 21 gaging a segment 22 wherebythe lever may be held in any set position. Itwill be read ily understoodthat by adjusting the lever the hounds will be raised or lowered and,consequently, the scoop or shovel will be permitted to take into theground to any desired depth or may be lifted free of the ground that theframe will be supported upon the traction wheels and may be drawn overthe field without operating. This arrangement will be advantageous inhauling the machine over a road or when moving it into a barn or from aburn to :1 point of operation The pivotal connection through the links 8between the main frame andthe supplemental frame 9 will permitthesupplementsl frame to readily accommodate itself to the movement ofthe shovel or scoo) as the some is adjusted, so that the main reins willmain tain its horizontal position under all condi tions. Upon the rearcross bar 2 of the main frame is secured a seat standard. 23 having adrivers seat 24: upon its upper end from which the operating lever 20may be easily reached.

Within the forward portion of the frame 9 is mounted an elevator andconveyor consisting of endless chains 25 passing over sprocket wheels 26and 27 fixed upon the upper and lower shafts or rollers 28 and 29,respectively, journaled in and extending be tween the side bars of theframe 9, transverse rods 30 being secured to and extending between thechains 25 so that the loose dirt deposited upon the conveyor will bepermitted to drop through the some to the ground. A series of transversebuckets or carriers 31 are secured to the chains 25" and these bucketsconsist of baclvnlates 32 which areseoured to the links of too chainsendplates 33, and shelves or bottoms 3%, the shelves or bottoms 3 ibeing disposed at right angles to therespective back-plates 32 and theend-plates 33 closing the angles betwsc zn the shelves and the backs. Byreferring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the clearance he tween theback is of the scoop and the lower portion of the elevator and ccnvsyrjust suflicient to permit the carriers to pass be tween these twoelements so that the po atoes flowin over the upper edge of the scoopwill becou ht by the buckets or carrier and ried along the uoper run ofthe co mosses The lower shaft or roller 29 is extended lutcrally beyondone end of the conveyor frame and is equipped thercat with :i sprocketwheel 35 around which and a sprocket wheel 36 is trsincd a sprocketchain 3?. The rprocket wheel 3% is loosely mounted upon he shaft 7 andis constructed with on clouuted huh having notchcs tltl in its on 11-end whereby it forms a clutch member ilfiilpttil to a clutch member 39rigid with the he main frame adjacent the seat standard so that, when itis desired to stop the operstion of the conveyor and the parts actingiil'ierewith, the driver by moving the upper free end of this leverlaterally may move the sprocket wheel 36 inwardly away from the (ll chmember 39 whereupon the shaft 7 will rotate freely without impartingmotion to the sprocket iwheel. Upon releasing the lever 4:2 the spring40 will at once expend and throw the clutch lffBfllbBIS into engage;

ment.

Within the frame 9 in rear of the elevat Zing conveyor and below theupper roller 28 supportin the some, I pivots ly mount a head bloc orsupport &3 to which are socured the "front ends of the separators 44,three of these separators or screens being illustrated in the presentembodiment of the invention.

A platform 59 is supported in any convenient manner from the rear end ofthe supplemental frame 9 so that an operator may stand thereon andremove filled sacks and suppl empty sacks as the machine travels overthe field without any necessity of stopping the operation. Caster wheels60 are mounted in any convenient manner in the platform and travel onthe "ground below the said platform so as to support the rear'end of tooapparatus and move freely laterally as the machine is carried aroundcorners or is brought into osition to moire it return trip scsoss thefield.

. The upper snsitt or-roller 28 by which the elevsting conveyor issupported is extended beyond one side of the supplemental frame andiseouipped at its extended end with o. crank islr 61 to which is pivotedthe up forward end of El connecting bar 62. The lower rear end of thisconnecting her is pivoted to a. crank arm 63 provided on the end of arock shaft 64 journaled in the sides of the rear frame and extendingacross the machine Between the sides of the sup pieinsntsl or rear frame93 the rock shaft 34 is formed or provided with crank arms I i the bladeor base of theshovel will pass bewheels 36 and 3 and the chain3?.connect and lifter arms 66 rise therefrom to engage the lowermostscreen of the separator. So that a vibratory movement will be impartedto the separator and the material deposited thereon will be agitated andthe elements of the same separated. As the head block 43 is pivotallymounted within the supplemental frame 9', the vibrationof thelowermostscreen will be imparted to the said head and through the same to theupper screens.

It is thought the, operation of my improved apparatus will be readilyunderstood from'the foregoingdescription, taken in connection with theaccompanying'drawings.

The shovel or scoop having been erly adjusted to take into the ground tothe desired depth, the apparatus is drawn over the field along a row-ofplantsso that low the potatoes and scoop up the same, as will be readilyunderstood. The dirt, vines, roots and other matter thus taken up willbecaused to travel upwardly over the hack of the scoop in a continuousstream andthegreater portion of the dirt will escape through the'back ofthe scoop, The potatoes will be taken up by the buckets orcarriers andwill be conveycdto theupper turn of the conveyer and there dischargedonto the separator. The loss of potatoes by the. dropping of the samethrough the conveyer is prevented by the transverse rods 30, as beforestated and as will be readily understood, so that all the potatoes willbe deposited upon the uppermost screen of the separator, the loose.dirtdropping to the ground between the rods 30. Motion'is imparted to theconveyor through the sprocket ing the same so that as long as themachine is traveling and the spring 40 is not compressed,the elevator\vill.'-(.)pcrate. It will also be noted that the interposition of thetransmission shaft? reverses the direction ofrotation so that the'lnwerroller or shaft of the conveyer will rotate in a direction opposite tothe direction of rotation. of the axle and, consequently, the carriersupon the upper run of the conveyor will travel upwardly. As the conveyoris continuously operating the crank disk 0'] will, of course,

rotate with the shaft 28 and the conneeting bar 2 will, consequently, becaused to vibrate the crank arm 6?. The rock'shaft (A will,consequently, h-zoscillated so that the arm ttS-and the lifting arms 66rising therefron'i Wlll be alternately raised and lowered and a liftingand dropping movement, consequently, imparted to these-parator or gangof screens. The sticks. portions of. vines, leaves and trash gathered upwith the potatoes and deposited upon the separator will be caught by theuppermost screen, while the potatoes will be permitted to drop throughthe same onto the interme diate screen. The vibration imparted to theseparator will agitate the potatoes So that the dirt and vines will beshaken therefrom-so and will drop between the bars of the screens ontothe ground, while the potatoes will be directed into the dischargespouts;

It will readily be seen that I matieally as it is drawn overa field touproot. the potatoes, deliver them onto a separator,

then assert the potatoes, wl'iile" separating them from the vines and)thertrash,and .deliver. the asserted potatoes into suitablereceptacles.

By my apparatus the smaller potatoes which are valuable prineipallyforseed and have pro- .vided an apparatus which will operate auto-" forfeeding live stock are separated fromthe larger more marketable potatoesand it is, there-fore, possible to obtain a higher price for theproduct. 3 What Ijc1aim is:-

1. An apparatus forthe purpose set con'iprisin-g a wheeled frame, "asupplemental frame arranged in-rear of the wheel-.1-

ed fran1e,'pivothl connections between the two frames, a scoop securedtothe supplemental frame, a conveyer carried by the su 'iplemental framein rear of the scoop and adjacent the same, means upon the Wheeled framefor actuating the conveyer, and means mounted upon the Wheeled frame foradjustably supporting the scoop. f

2. The combination of a wheel-supported frame, a supplemental framepivota-lly .con

uected therewith, a scoop secured to the said supplen'iental frame anddisposed below the wheeled frame, draft devices connerted with. thescoop, means for raisingand lowering: said draft devices and the" seoop,aeonvcyer mounted within the sup pleme-ntal frame, a sprocket whee-l.connected with said conveyor, a. pinion on the axle of the wheeledframe, a transmission shaft disposed on said frame parallel with theaxle, a pinion on said shaft meshing with the pinion on the axle,a-sprocket. whe el loosely mounted onthe transmission shaft. :1 chainrained around said sprocket wheel and the first-mentioned sprocketwheel. means for holding the sprocket Wheel,

rearwardlv beyond the same, a 0onveyer .mounted: within the supplemental'frame,'. and means upon themalnframe for actuating eaid conveyerg.4."fr'The combinationiof a wheeled frame,

a supplemental frame-in rear of the-wheeled I cured to the supplementalframe, a conveyer mounted in the supplemental frame, means on -thewheeled frame to operate the conveyerfand a separator arranged inv rearof the conveyor and operatively connected therewith. 2.0

6; The combination of mental frame in rear of and connected with thefirst-mentioned frame supporting wheels therefor, a scoop connectedtotthe supple-. merital frame, a separator arranged within thesupplemental frame in rear of the scoop, Y

and operative connections between said separatorand said supportingwheels.

7. The comhinationfof awhe el-supp'ortecl frame, a supplemental frameconnected wheel connected with said eonveyer, a pinion on the axle ofthe wheeled frame; -';a transmission shaft disposed on said parallelwith the axle, a pinion'on said shaft meshing with the pinion on theaxle, a sprocket wheel loosely mounted on the transmission shaft, achain trained around said sprocket'wheel and the first-mentionedsprocket wheel, means for holding the. sprocket wheel onthe'transmission shaft normally locked to said shaft, and means J forreleasing saidsprocket wheel. a frame, a supple- In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature in --presence of two witnesses.

THoM As s. MOORE. [a 8.]

- Witnesses Anvrn'onr HANSON. (Lemmas T. Gone;

